


Fragments

by Driwed



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V
Genre: Betrayal, Casual, Feels, Fictional, Friendship, Gay, Heartache, Love, Lovers, M/M, Memories, Mystery, Suspense, Yaoi, Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc V - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-16
Updated: 2018-04-21
Packaged: 2018-09-17 16:24:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 15,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9333266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Driwed/pseuds/Driwed
Summary: They met under a timed circumstance. Can they regain what was never lost, but covered up?





	1. The Beginning

" _Hurry! Over here!_ " a boy shouted to his friend. The other excitedly ran over to his friend. They played around in the grass, laughing all the same.

Crow shot up in bed, waking up from the dream. "It's that dream again..." he whispered. He noticed that he's been having this dream often, sometimes strong enough that he feels that he’s actually there. " _Who is that other boy..? It seemed like we were close, but why can't I remember his face?_ "

Shun woke up with groan. "This dream must be hinting at something. What the hell is it?" he said annoyed. This isn't the first time he's had this dream as well. He told Yuto about it, but he didn't know what was going on either. " _Tch, every time I get close to that boy, I wake up. It's like it doesn't want me to see his face._ " he thought while grumbling.

Yuto entered Shun’s room. He noticed he was upset again so he decided to try a lighter subject. "So, any plans for today?" he asked. Shun pointed at piece of paper on his desk. Yuto walked over to inspect it. " _To Do: 1) Find out meaning of dream 2) Pick up things needed in home 3) Go duel some friends at 3 4) Take a nap_ " Yuto didn't expect much from Shun now that everything has calmed down.

Crow was making his way over to Jack's for their daily 2pm game time. "Yo. You're late." Jack said. Crow rolled his eyes then said, "You do this every time. It's only a minute after." Jack shrugged then made his way inside with Crow tailing behind.

Crow is always amazed whenever he enters Jack's home. Even though things have gotten better for Commons, no, they weren't called Commons anymore. Everyone was finally equal after so many years. Even still, Jack's place was always a wonderous sight. "Come on, time's a wastin'." Jack said.

Shun was arriving home, half happy half sad. He still couldn't find out anything about his dream. His sister poked her head out the door and greeted him. "Anything yet?" He shook his head, sighed then walked inside to nap. He thought of all the places he's been. " _There's one place I haven't been, well, where no one has been in a while. Better than nothing I guess._ " He went out to go to the so called "cursed" place.

Shun arrived at the place and entered. He spotted a young fellow sitting and looking at tarot cards. "I knew you were coming. Sit down, you have something to ask don't you?" He reluctantly sat down then told him everything. The person shuffled the cards then pulled 3 cards from the top then set them in a row. "Hmm, Six of Cups upright. This means a childhood memory. Let's see what else.." They flip over another card from the row. "Three of Swords upright. This means painful separation, sorrow, heartbreak and/or grief. Now the for the last one." They flip over the last one. "Five of Swords reversed. It could mean open to new changes but if we consider the two before it, it seems to be past resentment."

Shun wasn't sure whether to trust this person or not, but continued to listen. "So, this dream of yours is a childhood memory, however something happened thus the Three of Swords. You may not realize it, but you are holding onto the past resentment. I'll make your reading free, I'm pretty generous." Shun stood up and left, only feeling slightly better.

Crow wasn't sure whether to bring his dream up or not. Jack could see it on his face that he had something to say. "Spit it out, Crow. I'm listening." Crow took a deep breath then told him the whole dream. "Hmm, I do remember that you'd play with this boy who no one had seen before, like he appeared out of thin air. You two were inseparable, but one day the boy disappeared. You cried for days and it took a lot for us to get you out of the house. You don't remember his face?" Crow shook his head then sighed heavily. " _At least I have more info than before.._ "


	2. Pieces

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you're all enjoying the story! Don't forget to also read Nautral Days and Bitter Eats. Feel free to comment and the like.

Shun woke up to the sight of his Radiraptor - Rise Falcon glowing and pulsating. "The hell is this..." he whispered. He picked up the card then felt himself being sent somewhere. He opened his eyes and found himself in some home. He looked around and saw himself crying alone in a corner. " _*sniff* I'm scared. Where am I?_ " he heard his young self say. A boy came in as if he was looking for something. " _Hey, I haven't seen you around here. Have you been here alone, crying?_ " the strange boy asked. His younger self hung his head low in an attempt to not make eye contact.

After a while, the strange boy finally got him to look at him. " _What's your name? You don't look like you're from around here._ " His younger self remained quiet then said, " _Kurosaki...Kurosaki Shun is my name. I don't know what happened. One moment I was at a fountain and next thing I know, I woke up in here..._ " The strange boy took his hand and helped him up, telling him he was taking him to his home.

Shun opened his eyes then saw the familiar sight of his room. " _That was weird._ ” He looked down then noticed something a bit odd. “ _Wait, wasn't I just standing? How did I end up sitting on the bed?_ " He shrugged it off then got ready to complete today's to-do list. However, the event still lingered in his mind.

Crow was entering his home, after a long day of being out and about. His card, Assault Black Feather - Raikiri the Sudden Shower started glowing and pulsating. It became bright to the point he had to shield his eyes. When the light died down, he opened his eyes and saw himself, but younger. He was quietly tiptoeing his way behind a boy, hoping to scare him. Just as he was about to scare him, the boy hit him right in the gut. " _I told you, you can't sneak up on me, Crow. When will you learn?_ " They both burst out laughing, with Crow wincing in pain as he laughed. The boy sat him up and got him an ice pack. " _Did I hit you too hard? Either way, I'm sorry._ " Crow chuckled then patted the boy's head. " _It's ok. I'm just glad to have you around._ "

A bright light started shining and Crow found himself home again. "What the.." he whispered. He found himself sitting on the couch holding the card. " _This is too weird..But, who was that boy? I need to know!_ "

Yuto was sitting on a bench when his eyes were suddenly covered. "Guess who?" said a voice. "Hmm, Ruri?" he joked. "Nope." "Could it be, Sora?" "Nope." "Is it, the person whom I've fallen for?" "Bingo!" He regains his sight and is face to face with Yuya. He tries his hardest to avoid kissing him because it usually ends in a disaster. "How have you been my love? Anyone I need to annilate?" he teased. Yuya shook his head then said, "Remember last time? You nearly destroyed a city." Yuto shrugged, stood up then held Yuya's hand in his.

They walked around and talked about what they've been doing for the past month. " _It's unfortunate really, that I only get to see him every other month. I wish I could see him everyday._ " Yuya thought. He noticed Yuto stopped walking and was looking directly at a garden. "We should take a picture, to remember and keep with us." Yuya nodded and so they went.


	3. The Tree

Crow spent most of the day cooped up in his room, looking for answers. "Hmm, it would be easier if I knew his name. Guess I should put this on hold." He sighed then remembered the flashback he had and the dream he kept having. " _They're obviously related, but why are they showing up now? This is getting annoying._ " He walked outside to get fresh air and clear his mind.

"Hmm, so he really doesn't remember anything from then." Shinji said. Jack nodded, sighing from tiredness. "They really were inseparable, until that day. I honestly wonder what happened." Jack shook his head at Shinji's statement then said, "Maybe we should help him out with this?" Shinji shrugged then started searching the web.

"Hey, I'm back. I brought company too." Yuto shouted. Ruri came rushing down the stairs. "Yuya! It's been too long." she said as she hugged him. "So, where's Shun, Yuto? He shrugged then went up to Shun’s room. He found Shun collapsed on floor. He was fine, but just unconscious from whatever happened. Just as Yuto laid him down, he opened his eyes.

Shun didn't know what was going on. He was browsing through the internet to gain more info on his dream and the meaning of what you see in them. "Dude, was I out?" Yuto nodded then asked what happened. "I don’t really know. I wasn't doing anything strange, but I did hear someone calling my name in desperation." Yuto suggested that he rest and that he was probably just tired from staring at the screen. Yuto confiscated Shun's laptop and phone so he wouldn't be tempted.

Crow went to the area where he had the recurring dream. Sure, he recognized the place but who wouldn't? Everyone always came here to play, relax and be happy. He found himself standing in front of a certain tree, though, they all looked the same. He heard children laughing but there were none in sight. As he backed away, the laughing grew quieter then stopped. He moved closer to the tree and the laughing started again.

"What the...?" he said quietly as he rounded the tree. Then he heard someone say, " _Hey! Be careful! I've fallen out of a tree and it wasn't fun nor cool, Crow._ " The other child giggled. Crow couldn't see anything but heard the voices loud and proud. " _One day, I'm gonna make a difference. To end this whole Tops and Commons thing._ " He waited for more but that seemed to be the end. "Hmm, whoever this boy is, we seemed to have confided in each other." He stayed there under the tree for awhile then made his way home.

Sora was waiting outside of Jack's. Shinji opened the door and let him in. "You're good with gathering information and all that right?" Jack asked. Sora nodded then asked, "First things first, why do you want _me_ to find this information? Next, what's in it for me?" Jack sighed then walked over to Sora. "Look, I'm not planning world domination here. It's just simple info. I just want you to dig up what you can of Crow's past." Sora rolled his eyes then agreed.

After Sora left, Shinji asked, "Do we have to find out more about his past? He seems fine to me." Jack glared at him then said, "Put yourself in his shoes. Wouldn't this be driving you crazy too?"


	4. Touched

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The picture and the name of it DO NOT belong to me. i am giving FULL and ALL credit to Zeiva Inc.

"Hm, I need to return this. It's served its purpose." Shun said as he put the Mr. Puffy keychain in his pocket. He tapped a few buttons on his watch then disappeared with a trail of light left behind.

Jack awaited Shun's arrival. He constantly looked at the time, hoping he'd hurry up. He heard the bell ring and swiftly moved to the door. "Took you long enough." Shun shrugged then handed him the keychain. "Didn't mean to keep it so long. Heh, can't deny that I'm a fan myself." Jack invited him in and they chatted awhile.

Crow was on his way to meet Jack, who had invited him earlier. He yawned then noticed someone leaving Jack's place. " _Is that Shinji? Hmm, nah. This dude's taller._ " As he got closer, he finally recognized who it was.

Shun started walking in Crow's direction, only noticing him as he got closer. They stopped and greeted each other. "What a surprise. Didn't expect to see you here again." Shun chuckled then felt an intense wave of nostalgia and joy spread through his body along with a moderate headache. He must've not looked well because he heard Crow say, "You alright? You look pale. Let's get you back inside." Just as Crow helped him lean on him, he felt a surge of pain shoot through his head.

Jack forgot to mention something to Shun, so he rushed out to catch him before he left. He stepped out and saw him and Crow collapsed on the ground. "What the.." he started as he rushed towards them. "Are you two alright?" he asked worriedly. He carried them inside, wondering what to do next. He called for Shinji to come down, hoping he had some idea.

Shun opened his eyes and saw Crow next to him. He always felt like he was connected to him, but never really questioned it. " _I feel comfortable and relaxed...and so warm._ " He sat up then noticed Jack pacing around. "Hey. No need to pace, we aren't dead." Jack twisted his face in annoyance then scoffed. Shun felt tempted to reach out and stroke Crow's hair. Just as he neared, Crow awoke.

Crow sat up then rubbed his temples. " _Man, that was brutal. It was like, so much was rushing into my mind and it just couldn't take it.._ " He looked over at Shun and noticed his face was a little flushed. "Hey, you sure you're ok, Shun?" he said as he leaned over to feel his forehead. " _Wait, I've never done this before..to anyone, well, except that one time.._ " He quickly backed away, face somewhat flushed then cleared his throat. "Y-you seem fine to me. I'll uh, take my leave now." he said as he quickly got up and left.

Yuto knocked on Shun's door for the second time. " _Why isn't he answering.._ " He turned the door knob and noticed the door was open. He walked in and didn't see him. He sighed then decided not to bother with his affairs. "I'll just tell him when he gets back." he said quietly.

Shun found himself going after Crow. He silently followed behind, trying not to be detected. He saw him walk onto the grass then sit under a tree. He heard faint voices coming from Crow's direction. Shun crept closer, trying his hardest not to make noise. The sound of a child crying gave him a scare seeing as how it was unexpected. " _Shun? Shun? Are you okay? Even after telling me to be careful too. Why did you let yourself get hurt?_ " He waited to hear the response. " _Because you're important to me. If I let you get hurt, I'd regret it forever._ " he said. He could tell that whoever it was, was smiling just from the words that were said.

Crow opened his eyes then sighed. He looked over and saw Shun falling asleep. He felt his body move on its own to lean him against himself. " _This is strange, but I like it..It's getting pretty warm. Maybe it's the weather.._ " He eventually drifted off, as they both were sitting under a memory full of memories.


	5. The Heart

Yuto and Yuya were walking about, not having a definite destination in mind. "Hey, what will you do when I'm gone?" Yuto shrugged then said, "I'll do what I always do." "And that is?" "Go about my business and always think of you." he said as he booped Yuya's nose. He pulled back a little, trying to avoid it. Yuto walked ahead then felt something clinging to his body. "Yuya..." Yuya buried his face into his back then said, "I always feel better when we're like this." Yuto chuckled and they remained that way for awhile.

"Yo! I'm back." Sora called out. Jack came down the stairs with Shinji following. "Did you find anything?" Sora nodded then said, "Yes and no." "Well, spill it." Sora cleared his throat then repeated the info. "You all know the basic information. Apparently, one of his relatives was a Tops. And uh, his parents secretly put him into something a few years back. It's not clearly stated but they urged for whatever it was to happen." "That's it?" Sora nodded then said, "Pretty much." Shinji clicked his tongue then said, "Well, you can go now." Sora shrugged, waved then disappeared in a bunch of particles.

Shun woke up to him leaning against Crow. He wasn't sure what to do. He noticed Crow stir and tried moving, but his body wouldn't. "Huh, so you're awake. Slept well?" Crow said then smiled. Shun felt his heart skip a few beats then return to normal. "Uh, quick question. Why are we..." he said as he motioned to their positions. Crow looked then blushed a little. He moved over, leaving a moderate sized gap. Shun nearly fell over from Crow's sudden movement. "Ahh, my bad." "Don't sweat it" Shun said. He looked up at the tree then said, "I feel like I know this particular tree." Crow's eyes widened in surprised. " _He knows about this tree? This feels so coincidental..._ " Crow thought. He didn't continue with that subject and changed it to something else.

Ruri was looking through a closet and found a box which held an album, some papers and a flyer. " _This flyer..My brother was missing? That can't be right. He's always been here._ " She flipped through the album then found a small picture. " _What..why is this ripped?_ " It was a picture of her brother and someone else in a park she didn't recognize. She sifted through the papers then picked up a particular one. "Hm, everything is faded, but this says 'it's been done. He'll be back soon.'" she read quietly. The other papers were hard to read or understand. She put everything back, hoping to forget everything she just read.

After they had told each other what they wanted to tell each other, they stood up then prepared to say goodbye. " _Strange, I feel, sad. As if I want him to stay._ " Crow thought. He didn't realize Shun was talking to him. He snapped back to reality then asked what he said. "I said, I'll be going now. See you later." Without thinking, he reached out and grabbed Shun's hand. He felt himself tremble then say in a whisper, "Don't go." Shun didn't know what to say, but then he felt something wet on his face. " _Rain?_ " he thought. He felt both of his cheeks then realized he was crying a little on one side. They eventually parted, without another word.

It was pretty late at night. Yuya and Yuto were standing on the balcony looking up at the sky. "Can't believe I'm looking at something so beautiful." Yuto said. "I agree." "I was taking about you, silly." Yuya looked at Yuto with widened eyes then became tomato red. Yuto chuckled then kissed his cheek. "Don't tease me like that!" Yuya whined while pounding on Yuto's chest. "Easy, easy. I can't promise that I'll stop, but I can try." Yuya sighed then intertwined his fingers with Yuto's. "You're annoying sometimes, but I don't mind it." Yuto lightly bopped him on the head then they went inside.


	6. Becoming Closer

It was the next day in the afternoon when Crow met up with Yugo and Rin. "Eh?! Why were we left out of the loop?" Rin whined. Crow shrugged then swirled his drink around. "Well, seems like things have gotten interesting, right?" "Yea, maybe this boy you met a long time ago is closer than you think." Crow looked at the both of them and chuckled. "Maybe he is, but he doesn't remember me either. Otherwise, wouldn't he have come to me and tell me?" The duo looked downwards. "Er, don't look so down..." Crow said. Rin walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder then said, "If you need any help, we're here."

Ruri knocked on Shun's door, wanting to tell him what she found. "What is it?" She looked away nervously then said, "I found some stuff in this box...and there was this flyer..." He motioned for her to go on. "It said you were missing. How could you be missing? You never left once without any of us knowing." Shun stared at her wide-eyed. " _What is she talking about? I've never left this dimension as a kid._ " He asked her to take him to the box. "This is..." he said as he looked through everything. "Why didn't you tell me about any of this earlier?! This could be a clue to my strange dream." he yelled. He soon regretted it as she started showing signs of crying. "Wait, I didn't mean it...Come back!" he called out to the fleeing Ruri.

Jack called Crow insisting he come over. "Should we really tell him, Jack?" Shinji asked. Jack nodded then said, "What good would it do if it wasn't revealed?" Shinji sighed then left to get some tea ready for Crow’s arrival.

Crow arrived at Jack's and saw Shinji waiting for him. "Go on in. You know Jack dislikes tardiness." Crow steps inside then takes a seat opposite of Jack. "So, we found out some information about your past. Your parents seem to have taken you to a facility for unknown reasons and was deemed urgent. Do you remember anything like that?" Crow shook his head then said, "This is the first time I've heard of it." Jack and Shinji looked at each other. "Is this something I should know?" "Well, I think you should. If you want to know your past. Just saying." Crow thought about it while sipping on tea.

Yuto knocked on Ruri's door after hearing what had happened. "If you're Shun, go away." "Ruri, it's Yuto." She opened the door a little to see if it was. She let him in then locked the door again. "Did he really yell at you for something minor?" She slowly nodded then added, "I assumed he knew about that stuff so I didn't mention it ‘til now." He patted her on the back then asked, "What's it doing there anyway?" She shrugged wondering the same thing.

Yuya went to Shun’s room to hear Shun’s side. "So you yelled at her?" He nodded then added, "I didn't mean to. It's just, I thought it had something to do with my missing memories and I guess I lost it." Shun sighed then turned away from Yuya. "Have you tried apologizing?" Shun nodded then sighed again. "She doesn't want to see me." "But, where did that box even come from, Shun?" He sat up then said, "Good question."

Crow made his way home, wondering who he could talk to at a time like this. He dialed a number and waited for a response.

"Yo. Who's this?" "It's Crow. Could you...you umm..." Crow was surprised that he suddenly became hesitant. " _Just say it. Don't be such a nervous wreck._ " "Could I what?" He took a deep breath then said, "Could you come over? Please? I-I need someone to talk to...about uh, Mr. Puffy..." "Fine. I'll be there. Give me 10 minutes." The person hung up and Crow nearly fell over from nerves. Crow waited then decided to make something. He heard a knock on his door and went to answer it. "You're here. Come in and make yourself comfortable." Shun walked in then stopped mid-way. "Is something wrong?" "This smell...are you making..." He ran to the kitchen then looked in the oven. Crow followed then said, "Oh, that? I'm making vanilla filled cookies. It was a favorite of someone I knew, though I don’t know who. I just remember the recipe."

Crow set a plate of vanilla filled cookies on the table. "So, what do you want to discuss about Mr. Puffy?" "About that...I-I lied. I didn't want to say what I really wanted." Shun raised an eyebrow as to say to tell him. "I just wanted someone to talk to, about not knowing my past." Shun stood up then sat next to him. " _He's awful close...Wait, why do I care?_ " Crow thought. Shun picked up a cookie then held it close to Crow's face. "These, are spectacular. Let me feed you one." Crow stared at him wide-eyed then felt himself nod.

" _What am I saying? My body is moving on it's own. But, this doesn't feel bad, it feels comfortable again. When did he get so handsome though..._ " Before they knew it, Shun was feeding Crow a cookie then took a bite from the other side. Crow looked at him sheepishly and made a weird noise. Shun laughed and felt a warm feeling growing inside him. Crow as well, felt a warm feeling, hoping it wouldn't go away.


	7. Awakened Feelings

Crow was in the middle of picking up another cookie when Shun called his name. "Umm, see, the thing is...I uh..." "Let me guess. You feel really comfortable and warm, right?" Shun blinked rapidly then nodded wide-eyed. "Well, I feel the same way, so I just assumed you did too. Guess I was right." Shun scooted his seat closer to Crow so that there wasn't any space between them. "Is something wro-" Crow started then felt Shun's lips on his cheek. Crow felt his whole body become heated then saw that Shun was hiding his blushing face. "What...what was that about, Shun? N-not that I didn't like it...I mean, umm...why?" Shun's face became brighter as he tried to explain himself.

"I don't really know. My mind went blank and everything just felt so right." Shun said as he moved away from Crow. Crow simply pulled him back then said, "It's fine. It's not like I was injured or anything because of it. Though, now that I'm noticing...it's late, right? Do you want to maybe...stay here for tonight?" Crow could feel his face heating up at the offer he made to Shun. "Sure." Crow quickly picked up the plate with the last few cookies and sped walked, headed towards the kitchen. "You should bring those with you. I wanna feed you more." Shun said teasingly.

Shun inspected Crow's room like a child in a candy store. As Crow set the plate on the nightstand, Shun asked, "This picture's torn...May I ask why?" Crow shrugged then added, "This is just a guess. but maybe me and someone else were holding it while being pulled opposite ways. So it tore..." Shun took another glance then felt like he saw something similar before. He walked over to Crow who was sitting on the bed then pinned him down. "Oi, what ar-" Crow started but was silenced with a cookie. "You look better this way, in my opinion."

" _Shun, why is he doing this? I won't lie, this is pretty sexy. I don't see him that way, but my heart says otherwise..._ " He soon noticed that Shun was eating away at the cookie until the very last piece. He watched as Shun pulled it from between his lips then lightly kissed him. " _These feelings, I don't know where they're coming from but they feel so intense. My heart feels crazy..._ " thought Shun. He broke away and was staring at a red-faced Crow.

Rin's ears perked up and then she let out a gasp, which also made Yugo stir. "What is it? Don't you see what time it is?" "I do know. I just got this feeling that something is going to happen." Yugo waved it off then went back to sleep.

Jack woke up the following morning feeling more refreshed than usual. He washed up then walked downstairs to prepare breakfast and watch the news. "*yawn* Same old news..." he muttered. Shinji entered then started setting the table. "Nice of you to say good morning." "Same to you." They gave each other a smile then continued making breakfast and setting up.

Crow woke to Shun sleeping quietly next to him. " _Man, he looks so innocent and cute...Sigh, that must be my other feelings talking._ " He positioned himself so he and Shun would be in a more comfortable position. He reached over then gently ran his fingers through his hair. Shun began to stir then rubbed his eyes. "Good morning, Shun." He let out a grunt then a yawn. "Oh, I should probably get going. Ruri is probably worried." said Shun as he got up and got ready. Crow thanked him for last night then watched as he disappeared in a bunch of particles.

Ruri entered Shun's room just as he got back. "Hey..." she said quietly. "Oh, Ruri. I'm sorry for my attitude and behavior yesterday." She shook her head then added, "I was wrong too." They hugged it out then went downstairs to eat breakfast with Yuya and Yuto. "Hey, food's getting cold." one of the two said. "So, it turns out there's a nice chunk of Shun's memory missing." Ruri exclaimed. Shun nodded then added, "I heard Crow is having the same problem." "I'm just going to make a wild assumption but, what if the boy you've both been looking for have been each other?" Yuya stated. They all looked at each other then burst out laughing. "As if that could even be true." Shun said through his laughter.

It was later that day when Crow met up with Rin and Yugo. "Someone seems happy. Did something good happen?" Rin said in a teasing voice. Yugo raised an eyebrow as to say he wants an answer too. "Well, something did happen, I'm not sure if you would call it good." They motioned for him to continue. "See, I was with Shun, I was feeling pretty comfortable and got this warm feeling." Yugo and Rin looked at each other then smirked. "Warm feeling eh? I think I know what's goin' on here. I think someone's caught feelings." she said as she nudged Crow. Yugo began snickering then added, "Wouldn't it be even better if he was that boy you knew years ago?" Crow felt his face become heated and tried to hide it. " _I did have secret feelings for that boy...but I told them not to bring it up!_ " The duo laughed as Crow stood up and left in a huff.


	8. Rememberence

Shun was alone in his room and took out the torn picture. " _I swear I've seen this before._ " He turned it upside down and looked at it from all angles. He sighed then gave up for awhile. He planned to visit Crow later, mostly to apologize for his actions before.

Crow flipped through a book before tossing it aside. " _Where is it? They always wrote everything down..._ " He sighed then slumped in his chair. His parents always kept a record of things but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. " _Did they purposefully leave it out? If so, why?_ " he sighed again then looked at the torn picture.

Shun was just about to leave when Ruri stopped him. "Shun, you have to come home for dinner tonight. Especially since Yuya is leaving tomorrow. You hear me?" He rolled his eyes and answered her then disappeared in a bunch of particles. "Geez, he was always like mom in more ways than one..." she said in a huff as she walked out.

Crow waved as Rin and Yugo left on Yugo’s bike. " _Jeez, these two are like little kids in a teen body. Oh, what's that light over there?_ ". He watched and waited to see what would happen then was surprised to see Shun. "Oi, what brings you over here?" "See, it was about last time...when I started acting weird and doing things to you. I'm very sorry." he said with a bow. Crow held up his hands then assured him it was fine. "Oh by the way, does this look familiar to you?" he said as he pulled out his piece of the picture. Crow thought about it then said, "It does, somewhat." He pulled out the piece he had in his pocket. He put them together then drew in a sharp breath.

Shun wasn't looking then heard Crow say, "Is this for real? Are you serious?" He felt hot tears roll down this cheeks with a few hitting the picture. Shun circles around him and saw. It was a perfect match, as if they were fated to meet again.

Ruri was setting up the dining table when something fluttered to the floor. She picked it up and inspected it. " _What's with this number on it? Was it always in this tablecloth?_ " She put it in her pocket and decided to mention it later on.

Jack was reading a book when Shinji placed a plate on top of it. "Dude, I'm trying to read here." Shinji waved it off as to say what he's doing is more important. "Just try one. I was planning on taking these over to Crow since he devoured them last time." Jack took one and took a bite then finished the rest of it. "It's not bad, actually." Shinji gave a sigh of relief then exited the room. " _Jeez, I can't wait ‘til he moves back into his own place._ "

Shun placed a cup of tea in front of Crow then sat down next to him. Crow leaned against him then took a sip of the tea. " _I still can't believe it's Shun. He's the guy I've had feelings for since back then...sounds crazy to me._ " He looked up and saw Shun was looking at him. The duo looked away from each other trying to hide their flushed faces. " _I wish I could control these new feelings I have. Maybe giving in would be best. Honestly, I'm still shocked to know that it's Crow..._ " They sat in silence for a while then Crow finally spoke up and said, "Long time no see."

Shinji rang the doorbell and waited for someone to answer. "Oh, hey. What brings you here?" Shinji held up the box that contained the brownies then asked if he could come in. Just as he entered the kitchen, he noticed Shun was making something. "Eh, he's here?" Shinji whispered to Crow. Crow nodded then motioned for him to follow him into the living room.

They entered the living room and then Shinji placed the box on the table. "So, what's in the box?" Shinji opened the box and watched as Crow's eyes began to sparkle. "Well, originally I decided to just come over and deliver them, but now I might stay awhile." "Eh, why?" Shinji chuckled then motioned towards the door, "You got 'company'." Crow aimed to punch Shinji's arm but missed. Shun came in with a plate then placed it next to the box of brownies. "Eh, so you two didn't plan on saving any for me?" Crow inspected the plate Shun set on the table. "Hmm, what might these be, Shun?" "Oh, it's a snack that I liked to make for you. I'm sure you'll remember it."


	9. Memorable

"These are..Mini Strawberry Cakes, right?" Shun nodded then disappeared just as quick as he came. Shinji took a bite out of one then finished the rest. "Do you like it, Shinji?" Shinji shook his head then said in a whisper, "It's not bad, just not to my liking." He stood up then patted Crow on the shoulder. He saw Shinji to the door then locked the door. 

“I'm surprised you remembered the name just by looking at them." Shun said as he heard Crow walk in. As he was washing the dishes, he felt something wrap around his waist. He kept washing then felt Crow tighten his grip. "Crow, just say it. Tell me what you want." he said as he turned to face him. Crow sighed then said, "I want you to help me look for something. It could have something to do with our past." Shun nodded then went back to the dishes. "Shun, can't you do that later? I kind of want all of your attention." Crow watched Shun reached for a towel then moved as Shun attacked him with it. They kept at this until they were both tired and sat down in the living room. Shun never bothered to look at the time, assuming he had enough time.

Ruri was placing the food down and noticed Shun's chair was empty. "Have either of you seen Shun?" They shook their heads then watched quietly as Ruri started to lose her cool. " _He said he'd be here. WHERE IS HE?!_ " She called his phone but got no answer. " _When he gets back he's a dead man!_ " she thought while growling. Yuya leaned over then whispered to Yuto asking, "Does this happen normally?" Yuto nodded with a sigh. "I always tell him to be home but he rarely listens." The duo watched as Ruri called him in a fury.

Shinji arrived back at Jack's then noticed Jack was reading but this time a different book. "Dude, what are you reading that's so interesting?" Jack motioned for him to come over. He pointed to a line in the book that said "and there, he'll have his memory wiped." Shinji shrugged then said, "What about it?" Jack bookmarked the page then began pacing. "What if, Crow's memory was wiped?" Shinji burst out laughing and tried to control himself. "Seriously dude? Memory wipe? You've been reading too many books." He ended up leaving the room because he couldn't stop laughing.

Ruri was hitting Shun over the head with a feather duster and chasing him around. Yuya and Yuto quietly watched from a distance. "So, uh, this happens.." Yuya said flatly. Yuto nodded then started heading upstairs. He entered the room Yuya was staying in and started packing some of his stuff. "Hmm, you seem eager to be rid of me." Yuya said sarcastically. Yuto rolled his eyes then said, "You know I want you to stay more than anyone. But it'll be harder to let go if you stay longer." They sighed then gave each other a half smile. Yuya wrapped his arms around Yuto, hoping one day he'll be able to stay by his side forever.

Ruri and Shun were sitting opposite of each other in the kitchen. "I told you to be on time and you fail to show. I don't know what you were doing that made you forget so it better be a good reason!" she said with a huff. Shun explained what he was doing then suddenly felt the floor shake. "So, I'm going upstairs now." he said as he fled up the stairs. She sighed then muttered, "Males."

Crow was getting ready for bed when Raikiri The Rain Shower started glowing. " _What is it now..?_ " He touched the card and the room became too bright so he shielded his eyes. The light dimmed and he saw himself and Shun playing duel monsters. " _Whoa! I've never seen a card like that!_ " his young self said. Young Shun laughed then said, " _It's an Xyz monster. Everyone I know uses Xyz monsters. Why don't you..?_ " Young Crow gave him a confused look then shrugged. " _Though, I think your Synchro monsters are cool too. We don't have cards like these back home._ " They continued to play then there was knock coming from the door. Young Crow left the room for a bit then came back with Jack. The boys conversed about duel monsters and their dreams. The bright light came back and Crow was back in his room.

Shun woke up in the middle of the night, unable to sleep. " _Crow huh...What's our history? What really happened?_ " He walked over to the window in his room then looked outside. It was dark out and there didn't seem to be any movement. He sighed then tried to remember anything from then but drew a blank. " _Maybe we should work together to find out..._ " He got back into his bed then tried to sleep again. He drifted off, not realizing that his Raidraptor - Rise Falcon was glowing.


	10. Suspicion

Yuto walked slowly with Yuya to the spot where he travels through. "Another month over...it only felt like days." Yuya gave him a weak smile then let go of Yuto's hand. They stood in silence for a bit then Yuya said in almost a whisper, "Goodbye."

Ruri was clearing the table when Yuto walked back in. She noticed his grim face and decided it was better not to ask. Just as she went back to clearing the table, she felt someone ruffle her hair. "Hey lil' sis." She huffed and ignored her brother. "Well, since Yuya's gone, should we start preparing?" he said in a low voice. She simply nodded then started washing the dishes. "Are you still mad about yesterday? I told you I was sorry." She stopped washing then turned to face him. "You said you'd be here. What were you doing that you couldn't make it?" Shun kept quiet for a moment then said, "You're right, it's my fault." She sighed, turned around and started washing the dishes again.

Jack was flipping through pages of a book then stopped on a certain page. "If I remember correctly, there was some facility..." He scanned the page but found out zip. He tossed the book to the side then looked up at the ceiling. " _Maybe Shinji is right. I have been reading a lot of books lately._ " He looked on the web for a while and nothing turned up. He didn't plan on giving up, but was going to take a break. Shinji walked in and placed a cup of tea on his desk. "Still looking for the far fetched?" Jack was close to shoving him but instead replied, "That's right." Shinji shook his head then walked out.

Crow was cruising along on his D-Wheel, with not much of a destination in mind. He hoped the city would have a few answers to questions he has. The city was always busy, from dawn to midnight. He cruised around hoping something would catch his eye. He went further into the city then stopped at an old-styled house. " _I'm getting bad vibes from this place..._ " He took one last glance at the place then kept moving.

Shun was tapping his pen against his desk. " _What else, what else..._ " he thought. He couldn't think of a reasonable answer for the question on the paper. " _Think Shun. What do you remember from your years in school..._ " He finally thought of the answer then jotted it down. He spun around in his chair then stopped as he looked out the window. It was raining pretty steadily and didn't look like it intended to stop. He shivered then drew the curtains. He kept feeling random chills even though it was moderately warm. " _Something just isn't right..._ " He reached for his phone then texted Crow.

Yuya was sitting on his bed at home scrolling through photos he and Yuto took. " _Heh, that's a cute one..._ " He sighed then set his phone to the side. He looked out the window at the partly cloudy sky. He figured it'd be the afternoon back where Yuto was. He heard a knock on the door and his mom stepped in. "Do you want anything? Tea, soda, snacks?" Yuya shook his head then heard his mom quietly close the door behind her.

Yugo and Rin were exiting a store when they noticed Crow's D-Wheel across the street. "He doesn't usually come out here, especially by himself." Yugo nodded then proceeded to look across the street for Crow. They saw him exit one of the older shops then start to get on his D-Wheel. Rin waved frantically over to him then started calling his name. He looked up and over at them then waved back. He crossed the street then greeted the both of them. "You two on a date?" Crow teased. Yugo looked away and Rin said, "That's right. This one over here failed at asking me out so I had to do everything. Jeez, you'd think he'd be more manly." Crow snickered then felt a shiver go down his spine. Rin gave him a confused look, seeing no clouds in the sky and no wind was blowing.

" _Why do I feel cold? My arms feel numb..._ " He chuckled nervously then told them he had something important to do. He quickly got on his D-Wheel and drove away. When he arrived at home, the feeling of numbness in his arms became stronger. He was too focused on his numb arms to notice his card, glowing. He walked into his room then remembered his phone vibrated at some point. He took out his phone with some difficulty then began to respond to the message.


	11. Vibes

Shun noticed he stopped shivering when he started texting Crow. "Yea? What's up Shun?" Shun started having doubts on whether he should tell him or not. "Well, I was getting random chills and then they suddenly stopped when I got your message." Shun sighed then looked at the sky again. It was partly cloudy, but he wondered how the rain could clear out so quickly. His phone buzzed and he looked to see the notification. "Really? Well, that's weird. Though, something weird happened to me. I passed by this home earlier and I just felt nothing but bad vibes. Then, my arms started feeling numb but they looked fine on the outside." Shun reread the message then began to speculate that something weird is messing with them.

Rin followed Yugo inside then said, "Think Crow’s ok...? He seemed off today." Yugo shrugged at Rin's remark. Rin bit her bottom lip and started to reach for her phone. She stopped and figured he'd be alright, mostly because he's gotten this far in life. "Rin? Rin? Rin!" Yugo said. She snapped back to reality then wrote a question mark in the air. "You know, you could help put this stuff away." She sighed then began helping him out.

Yuya was walking out of his home when Yuzu came bouncing up to him. "So, how was your visit?" He walked on ahead then said, "It was the same, but feels different when I'm with him." Yuzu sucked her teeth then jogged to catch up with Yuya. "Well, Sora is coming today. You coming over?" Yuya shrugged at her statement then remained silent for the rest of his trip outside.

Yuto was clicking through stuff on the web when something caught his eye. "Hmm...I bet Yuya wo-" he started then stopped. He sighed then scrolled away from it. " _Just wait. He'll be back before you know it...God, this is killing me._ " he thought.

Jack peeked into the room Shinji was staying in. He quickly looked away once he realized Shinji was changing. Just as he was sneaking away, he heard Shinji call his name. "Dude, why the hell were you peeping in on me?" Jack slowly turned around then said, "I just wanted to ask you something. Didn't know you were...changing." Shinji grunted, went back in and closed the door. Jack went downstairs and collapsed into a chair, trying to forget what he saw.

Ruri knocked on Yuto's door holding a tray that held food. "Come in." She managed to open the door without dropping anything. "I brought you some food. You better eat it all." She walked over to the windows and drew the curtains, letting the light from the almost set sky in. "Yuto, I think this time from now on, you should go out more and enjoy life. You always holed yourself up when Yuya leaves." She watched as Yuto faced her and the now set sky then calmly said, "I will."

Crow took one last look at the message before he sent it. He stood up from his chair then started to swing his arm around out of habit. " _Eh, it's not numb anymore. Weird..._ " He remembered he made plans with Jack to duel, so he grabbed his deck and made his way out. As he closed the door to his room, his ace card, Raikiri, fell to the floor and floated it's way underneath his bed.

Shun dimension jumped into the Synchro world and arrived at the usual spot. "Ahh, it's always beautiful here. After taking a moment, he made his way to the busy city of City. He checked out a few things and spoke to people who he had befriended. As he was leaving, he thought of Crow and decided to buy him his favorite snack. After all of that, he made his way to Crow's home.

"And this makes win number 6." Jack said teasingly. Crow huffed then said, "That's only cause my ace card hadn't appeared." Jack laughed then quieted down soon after. "Say, where is your card? Haven't you gone through your whole deck already?" Crow crossed his arms while thinking then said, "You're right. Oh. What if...I lost it on my way here? But, I'm never that careless..." Jack watched as Crow stood up and paced around then turned towards the door after hearing it open. "What's up with him?" Shinji asked as he walked over to Jack. Jack snickered a bit then explained the situation. "Oh, well, can't he just buy another one?" Jack shook his head then said, "This card is special to him, remember?" Shinji shrugged at his statement then proceeded to watch Crow.

Shun went to knock on the door the noticed it was slightly ajar. " _He forgot to lock the door. He needs to remind himself more..._ " He went in and called out to Crow. " _No response...Maybe he went out._ " He opened the door to Crow's room and looked around. He knew he shouldn't enter others' rooms without permission but this was a good opportunity to find out things Crow wouldn't tell him. As he ventured further in, he noticed an odd light emitting from under his bed. He bent down and picked up Raikiri. "That's weird, he never goes anywhere without you. But what's with this red glow..." The room was soon enveloped in red and the room began to change. "This is..."


	12. Seeing Red

Crow decided to go home and check there, since that's where he remembered last having it. He grabbed his deck and other belongings and took off for his D-Wheel.

Shun looked around at the scene before him. " _This seems to be in Crow's perspective..._ " Crow was crouching over in a corner in a closet somewhere. Shun could feel the small Crow trembling. " _Crow?! Crow?! Where are you? We should get going soon or else we'll miss our fun appointment._ " he heard a soft but annoyed voice say. Crow didn't respond but only tried to hide further in. The closet door opened and a woman with the soft voice reached for Crow. " _No! I don't want to go to the doctor..._ " Crow said through tears. Shun saw that there was more to this through the woman's face. The scene became enveloped in red and Shun found himself back in Crow's room.

"Rin! Rin!" Yugo said. He gently shook her in hopes it'd wake her up. She slowly stirred and stretched out. "What is it? God..." He pointed towards the sky which had a small spot of red. "You woke me up for this? Tch, leave me alone..." she said as she covered herself with a blanket, trying to go back to sleep. Yugo had a feeling that this abnormality might be trouble.

Crow was locking the door behind him then heard a floorboard creak. " _Someone's here?_ " He grabbed a nearby broom then went in the direction of the sound. He opened the door slightly then saw Shun sitting on the floor staring at something. "Shun..?" Shun looked up then gave him a weak smile. "You dropped this..." he said as he handed Crow Raikiri. Crow accepted it then asked, "What are you doing here? And on the floor...?" Shun stood up then explained why he was here. "So, as I was entering your room, your card here was emitting a weird light. I touched it and I was whisked to your past. For some reason, there was something your mom was hiding." Crow gave a shrug then put Raikiri back in his deck. "My mom wasn't always like that. She was always straight to the point. I do remember her acting different though..." They looked at each other then chuckled, assuming it had no importance.

Yuya was leaving school when Yuzu "accidentally" bumped into him. "Hey, Yuya. Got any plans?" Yuya shrugged then felt himself being dragged away. "Where are you taking me?" Yuzu turned around and gave him a quick wink. " _Well, I **DID** have plans, but I guess now they're canceled..._ " He sighed quietly and allowed himself to be dragged off.

Ruri was taking a walk outside when she spotted a familiar face. "Sora? What have you gotten yourself involved in this time?" Sora chuckled then waved her statement away. "Nothing of the sort this time. Just came to pay someone a visit." She sighed then asked who. "Shinji actually. I have some interesting info he might like to hear." Ruri bit her lip, only half believing the sly boy. "Don't worry, I won't set anything ablaze like last time."

Yuto was putting on his shoes when Ruri came through the door. "Going out? Would you like company?" He shook his head then stood up. "It's not that I don't want you to tag along, just need to let myself wander." She nodded then made her way upstairs. As he stepped out, he took a deep breath, plugged his headphones into his phone, and began to jog.

"I'm going home..." Yuya said flatly. He was tired and wanted to get away from Yuzu. "Come on, 10 more minutes!" she said. She got no response, so she turned around and saw Yuya had vanished. " _God, he's so difficult..._ " "Hey lady! It's your move!" someone called out. She turned around then continued to play.

Yuto took a break and sat on bench near a park. He took out his phone and checked the time. " _5:36pm...Hmm, didn't realize I was jogging for so long. Maybe I sho-_ " he thought but was interrupted by a familiar face. "Hey there, pretty boy." Sora teased. Yuto rolled his eyes then stopped his music. "What are you up to now?" he said, trying not to groan. "Nothing really, just coming back from Jack's." Yuto gave him a questioning look as if asking him to explain. "Just went to see Shinji, pass on some info." "Did anything catch fire?" "Dude, why is everyone still on that? Was it really that bad?" Yuto glared at him and Sora put his hands up in defense. "Well, I should get going. Plus, you seem, upset yet sad." Sora scurried away before Yuto could lay a finger on him.

Shinji was walking down the stairs when he noticed Jack blocking the way. "And what was _he_ doing here?" Shinji scoffed then said, "You invited him before, so I could ask you the same thing." Jack remained quiet then said, "Ok, still, what were you both discussing? Seemed...heated." Shinji slid down the banister then said as he landed, "Oh, just possibilities of something. Like, what a red spot in the sky means." This time Jack burst out laughing, wiping the few tears forming in his eyes. "Red spots in the sky don't exist. Sure, the sky can turn red but spots? You're crazy." Shinji shrugged then left the laughing Jack to himself.


	13. Assurance

Rin awoke later that night and noticed the TV wasn't on. " _Hmm, he's usually watching TV by now._ " She looked over and spotted him curled up in the bed she was sleeping in. Yugo began to stir then gave her a warm smile. She felt her face flush and looked away quickly. "Seems we both slept well huh, Rin?" She simply nodded and proceeded to get up and go cook.

Jack was about to open his front door when he smelled something odd. He looked around and didn't find anything so he figured it was coming from inside. As soon as he opened the door, his nostrils were hit with the powerful scent of smoke. He rushed to the kitchen and found Shinji coughing and dumping stuff into the trash. "What the *cough* hell did you *cough* do?!" Jack said angrily. Shinji pulled him out of the kitchen and into a less smoke filled room. "I was trying to cook, but as you can see..." Jack sighed then dragged Shinji to help him open more windows.

Crow was putting some stuff away while Shun quietly snuck away to find out any clues. As he looked through a closet in a room, he stopped at a small box that was well hidden from anyone's sight. He put it it aside where he could easily find it but no one else could. Just as he was closing the door, he saw a strange purple light then disappear just as quick as it came. "Shun! Shun! Where did you go?" Crow called out. "I'm here, I'm here. No need to shout." Crow handed him a box then said, "Open it." Shun took the top off and saw a single card. "This is..." Shun started then stopped. "Yep, I figured you'd remember this card. Helped me find you that one day. You can have it. It's not that I don't want it, it's just..." Crow said then stopped as he realized what the rest of his sentence was. He felt himself blush so he looked away quickly. "It's fine, you don't have to tell me the reason. However, I do need to get back home so, I'll be going now." Crow nodded with his back turned to Shun, not noticing him going back into that same room.

"Yugo! I said beets not horse radishes!" Yugo groaned then retorted, "They both look the same though." Rin snorted then continued to bark orders at him. "You know what, how about I find the ingredients and you just keep mixing?" They nodded in agreement and switched places. "What is, wheat germ?" Yugo asked confused. "Wheat germ, wheat germ..." Rin quietly repeated to herself. "Ah, there it is. If I could just reach up there..." Just as she finished her sentence, she lost her balance and fell backwards. " _Shit! What do I do?! Ok, brace for impact.._ " She squeezed her eyes shut and waited for the impact that never came. She opened her eyes and met eyes with Yugo. "You alright?" She chuckled a bit then sighed. "Yea, so could you like, get the wheat germ..?" He sat her up then proceeded to get the wheat germ.

"So, let me get this straight. You, who has no cooking skills whatsoever, thought it was a good idea to cook dinner for the both of us?" Shinji simply nodded at his statement. "You fucking idiot. You could've burned this whole place down. Shinji shrugged and said, "Well, looks like we have no dinner." Jack clicked his tongue then held up a bag. "You're lucky I went out or else we'd be starving."

Yuya looked at his phone then back out the window of the bus. " _Almost home.._ " His phone vibrated and so he looked at the notification. " _Yuto..._ " He read the message which said, "Hey there, my lover. I miss you, like, a lot. How was your day?" Yuya smiled then remembered it'd still be awhile before he could go back. He sent him a text back then got ready to get off the bus.

Yuto was looking at videos online when his phone vibrated. He unlocked his phone and read Yuya's message, "I miss you as well. It's been a long day, couldn't wait to go home. How was yours?" Yuto sent him a message back and it continued like this until one of them went to sleep.

Shun placed the box with the card on top of his dresser, to keep it within sight and not have it become lost. He took out the box then opened it. "Hmm...where did that light come from..." He looked under everything then found a torn card. He picked it up then looked at it from all angles. " _It just looks like a torn up card. There's nothing special about it.._ " He tossed the card aside then began to look at other things. The card started radiating a purple glow then enveloped the room in a purple-white gradient.


	14. Gradient

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is going to be short, I apologize!

Crow was laying in bed when his room became a purple-white gradient. He sat up quickly and looked around for the source. " _Ugh, I just wanna sleeeeeeep..!_ " He noticed that Raikiri was radiating a faint white light and was floating right above him. He watched as it flew under the door and not come back. " _Does it want something? I shouldn't follow it, this all seems like some legit bullshit. But, I am curious..._ " He got up from bed then opened the door to find the card waiting for him. He followed it to the front door and watched as it floated by the gate. "So you **do** want me to follow you...Alright, lead the way." Just as he said that, the card motioned for him to mount his D-Wheel.

Yuya was working on his homework when his phone vibrated. " _There's no notification though..._ " His phone continued to vibrate then stopped. He waited to see if anything else would happen but nothing did. He sighed then continued to work. Just as he became immersed in his work, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He fell out of his chair to only see his mom looking down at him with concern. "What has you so jumpy tonight? Before dinner, during dinner and now. Somethin bothering you?" Yuya didn't know what to say, let alone tell his mom. "I think it's because of a movie I watched. So, nothing big." His mom sighed then nicely scolded him about watching those kinds of movies late at night.

After a while of driving, the card took Crow into the city and at the place he saw the old looking home. As he dismounted, he noticed the card was floating above a gate on the side of the home. "You want me to go in? You're crazy. 1) Someone might catch me, 2) That's just plain trespassing and 3) We all know what happens to people who go into creepy, old looking homes." Noticing that the card seemed to get brighter as if it was angered, he complied and entered the side gate. " _This feels familiar..I really don't like this feeling._ " As he neared the back entrance he noticed some old equipment lying on the ground. He started feeling dizzy and began feeling pain shooting through his head. He collapsed onto the ground, without a sound.

Shun's eyes widened in surprise as he watched Crow collapse. " _What the hell is this? Is this really happening? If only I could get there...damn restrictions._ " The small opening that allowed Shun to see through started to close. He tried to keep it open but his hands went through it. He anxiously watched as the opening closed, and the unmoving Crow. He took out a watch that had been stored away and proceeded to make adjustments to it. The next moment he found himself by the outskirts of the city. He quickly ran to where he last saw Crow, hoping everything is alright.


	15. Okay? Okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> all picture credit goes the original creator

Shun arrived at the old looking home and looked for the gate. He tried to open it but it was shut tight. He tried with all his might but it wouldn't open. Using his last resort, he attempted to break down the gate. After multiple tries, it finally opened. Shun darted towards the back to not see Crow lying where he should've been. He looked up, down and around but no sign of Crow. " _Where *pant* did he go? *pant pant*_ " He wiped the sweat off his forehead and recollected himself. He noticed a door that seemed recently used. Without a second thought, he broke the door down, figuring it wouldn't open any other way. "Crow! Crow! If you're here, answer me!" He got nothing but silence.

Ruri sat up, yawned and took in her surroundings. " _Just my room, heh.._ " She took a shower, brushed her teeth and got dressed for the day, while making sure she remembered everything she had to do. "Shun! Yuto! Get up!" she shouted. She waited as only Yuto came out, yawning. "Hmm, he's probably still sleep. I'll wake him." Yuto said in between yawns. He opened the door and found an empty bed. "Hey, did Shun say anything about going out today yesterday?" Ruri shook her head then began to worry a bit. "M-Maybe he just went out for a stroll or is coming back from a late night mini trip?" Yuto shrugged then made his way into the bathroom.

" _Oi, stop that! You're messing it up!_ " he heard a kid grumble. " _Shun? That sounds like Shun..._ " He saw a little Shun pouting and heard his own laughter. He saw himself pat Shun and their eyes lock. Neither boy made a move, but then Crow saw himself move his face closer to Shun's. Just as Shun's face drew closer, it suddenly became dark and a red spotlight was on Shun. A black shadow carried him off as Crow struggled to move. It became pitch black and then another red spotlight was on a now grown, unconscious Shun. " _He's falling...I-I have to do something!_ " Crow thought as his body seemed to move slower with every step. As Shun fell over the edge, Crow suddenly felt lighter and made it to the edge, only to watch Shun fall into darkness.

Shun checked in the last room and found Crow lying there. He ran over and gently shook him. "Shun..?" Crow said softly as he opened his eyes. Crow looked up and noticed that Shun was smiling, but also crying.

"I'm glad you're okay. I-I was worried, that something bad had happened to you.." Shun said as he went to embrace Crow. "Let's get out of here, okay?" Crow gave  him a weak smile and said, "Okay." They made their way up and out and were greeted by the sun and a clear blue sky. Crow put his hands in his pockets then felt something. He pulled it out and saw that it was Raikiri, the one that led him here. "Want me to drive? I promise I'll drive safely." Crow put the card back in his pocket and hopped onto the back of the D-Wheel.

Yuya stretched out as the sun's morning rays peeped through the blinds. " _Sigh, nothing happens here. Well just 5 more days until I can go back._ " Just as he thought that, his ringtone started to play. "Hello? Yuya?" he heard a familiar voice say. "Hey, Yuto. I don't usually get wake up calls from you." He lightly chuckled knowing that Yuto had rolled his eyes at that moment. "Anyway, I was calling to ask if you know how to calm a worried sick person down. Cause uh, Ruri isn't doing so hot at the moment.." He heard Ruri mumbling to herself and making little noises. "I can't say that I do. Give her something to do? Take her outside?" Yuto sighed then thanked Yuya for listening and hung up.


	16. Unplanned

Shun quietly watched over the sleeping Crow. He leaned back against the nightstand then let out a small sigh. He was glad he found Crow, and alive at that. "Shun...? Are you still here?" Shun got up and nearly fell over from getting up too quickly. "Yeah. Do you need something?" Crow patted a spot next to him on the bed, beckoning him to sit. Just as Shun sat, Crow managed to get Shun to roll over with him and also be face to face with him. Crow smiled and pulled him close, then began to drift off again into slumber. Shun made attempts to free himself but gave up seeing as how Crow wouldn't let go.

" _It's soon, isn't it.._ " Yuya thought quietly. He tapped his pencil lightly as to not disturb others sitting around him. He felt something poking his arm and looked to see who it was. Yuzu gave him a warm smile then proceeded to write something on a piece of paper. She passed it over and waited for Yuma's response. The bell rang and Yuya gathered his things with speed and exited.

Jack was entering his home when he found it unusually quiet. "Shinji..? Shinji?" He sighed then went upstairs. As he opened the door to the room Shinji was staying in, he found it empty and neat. " _What is going on...Am I just dreaming or nah.._ " He checked the closets and found only his stuff. He sat down on the lowest step and started coming to terms with Shinji's absence.

Ruri knocked on the front door, hoping someone would answer. No answer. She knocked a few more times and someone eventually came to the door. "Who is it..." a groggy voice said. "Ruri. I hoped one of you would know where my brother is.." She heard the locks unlock and a familiar face peeked out. "No, we actually don't. But, if my hunch is right, he's most likely at Crow's." Ruri nodded then bowed to Rin. She gave a half bow, closed the door and locked the locks.

"Yo, who was that?" Yugo called from upstairs. "Shun's kid sister. Apparently he's missing." She could feel Yugo's eye roll, so she added, "Hey, I'd do the same if you suddenly didn't show up for a long duration of time." She huffed then slowly made her way to the living room.

Ruri made her way to Crow's, with the help of directions that people had given her. She rang the bell when she got to the door and waited. The door opened and revealed a tired looking Shun. "Shun...So you were here, this whole time?" She felt her emotion move from worry to disappointment and slight anger. Shun quietly nodded then put a finger to his lips as to tell her to quiet down. "Something happened to Crow..So I rushed here to find out. I should've told you but it was a dire situation and I couldn't leave him alone." Ruri sighed then folded her arms. "Fine. Don't complain if there isn't enough dinner for you." She turned on her heel and proceeded to leave. She stopped, turned around and said, "Yuya is coming later in the evening, if you still care about us, we'll know if you show up or not." With that, she turned back around and left.

Crow watched as Shun entered the room with a somber expression on his face. "Something happened, right? And don't think of lying to me, I can read you like a book." Shun stayed quiet then said, "Ruri. She feels I don't care about her and Yuto anymore." Crow nodded then said, "She just misses having you around all the time..that's all it is." Shun sighed then nodded. Crow sat up and made his way over to Shun. He grabbed his hand and started walking out the front door. "Where are we going?" Crow ignored his question and tossed him a helmet. "Shut up and you'll see."

Shun didn't realize he fell asleep and was resting his head against Crow's back. "We're here sleepy head, take a look." He rubbed his eyes then looked in the direction Crow was looking at. " _Oh..the beach. Hm, it looks like the sun will set in a while.._ " They dismounted the D-Wheel and walked towards the beach. He noticed that Crow was standing at the edge near the water and was looking out towards the horizon as if he was thinking about a lot of things. Shun saw this as a perfect opportunity and pushed Crow into the water. He watched as Crow stood up and turned in his direction.

"You think that was funny? Then laugh at this!" Before Shun realized it, he saw himself falling towards the water. He stood up and heard his companion laughing. He gave a brief smirk then dragged Crow into the water with him, but this time into deeper water. They both attempted to splash each other and swam away when the other got too close. They finally got out of the water, still feeling the excitement of their mini water battle. They walked back to the D-Wheel and rode home under the now dark sky.


	17. Hollow

She looked at the time and sighed. She should've known he wasn't going to come. "Well, the table isn't going to set itself.." she said quietly. She heard the door open and close and saw the duo rounding the corner. "Hey, look who's back." She gave them a small smile then quietly looked back at the corner they rounded, hoping he'd round that corner too.

They walked through the front door and Crow left him in the living room to get towels. " _So we ended up trying to cheer each other up..Classic us._ " He walked back to the living room then saw Shun wasn't there. He sighed then began searching around. He ended up not finding even a trace of him. "Guess he left.." Crow said in almost a whisper.

Ruri was washing the last of the dishes when she felt someone place their hand on her shoulder. "Dinner was great." She gave a small shrug then turned off the water. "Yea, it was. Now if you'll excuse me.." she said as she walked away from Yuto. He watched as she went upstairs rather quickly and heard a door open and close. Ruri climbed into her bed and faced the wall. " _Did I ask too much of him? Did I really?_ " She bit her bottom lip then rolled over. She nearly jumped out of her bed when she came face to face with Yuya. "Sorry, did I scare you?" he said apologetically. She shook her head and took a deep breath. "Listen, I uh, heard about what's been going on between you and Shun." She motioned for him to go on. "I think, you both just need to sit down and talk about it. Everyone and everything changes, nothing really stays the same. If you understand that much, then you'll heed my suggestion." She watched as he got up and left without another word.

Shun found himself in an unknown place and tried to retrace his steps. He walked for a bit then noticed the way he went didn't look familiar. " _I feel I've been here but I don't remember.._ " He took a left turn then found himself on the street that Crow lives on. Shook, Shun hurried on home.

Yugo felt something poking his side and tried moving away from it. He fell off the bed, not knowing how close to the edge he already was. "Pfft, and here you wanted me to wake you up in time. Should've let your behind sleep." Yugo gave her a brief glare then stood up to get ready. "So, what are you two going to talk about, hm?" inquired Rin. He ignored her question and went about his business. "H-Hey! I'm asking you a question!" she said nearly shouting. He rolled his eyes, locked his gaze with her's and said, "Nothing special. The usual guy stuff." She glared daggers at him but knew they were unaffective anyway.

Crow paced a bit, then decided he'd be better off sitting. He attempted to clear his mind and waited patiently. He heard the door bell and nearly fell over from tripping over one of his bags.

"You think something is bugging him..?" Yugo whispered to Jack. Jack remained silent but continued to observe Crow's facial expressions. "Bugging him, more like scaring him...slightly." he finally whispered back. "It was pretty dark, and I heard voices, our young voices. Then this thing just whooshed him away. And like, he fell backwards off a cliff! I don't know what it was but it felt real." Jack closed his eyes momentarily, then simply said, "Nothimg but a bad dream due to fatigue. Case closed." Yugo clicked his tongue and shook his head at Jack's statement. "I say it's some kind of future prophecy." Jack gave him a side glance then hit him on the back of his head. "Anyway, don't worry about it. Everything will be fine." Crow gave them a half hearted smile then quickly left the room.

Yuya rolled over then felt something lumpy underneath him. He opened his eyes and saw he was laying on top of Yuto. "Do you mind..? You're not a lightweight.." Yuya chuckled but didn't move. Annoyed, Yuto rolled over so that Yuya could fall off. "You're cruel." he said with a small pout. Yuto shrugged then got up from the bed. "So, welcome back. I'm sure you missed me a ton." Yuya snorted then said, "Yea, as if the kisses yesterday didn't tell you that." His gaze fell on Yuto's body and worked its way up to his face. His gaze met Yuto's and ended up giving him a warm smile and getting one in return.


	18. The Fountain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone. It's been a long while but I have time to work on my stories again so keep a lookout!

As Shun materialized into the Xyz dimension, he noticed he wasn't where he programmed it to go. " _Where is this? I'm sure I said 'home'_.." He looked around the best he could with all the trees surrounding him. He looked at his phone then saw he had no service. " _Guess I'm on my own, but seriously, where in the fuck is this?_ " He walked around but ended up at his landmark every time.

Ruri tried once more in calling Shun, hoping to ask him to come home soon. "Still nothing? You've been calling for like, 3 hours." "I know, Yuya. Now I have a good reason to worry. Did you ask around?" "We sure did." Yuto said as he walked into the kitchen. Ruri let out a heavy sigh then ask the couple to help her make dinner.

"Hm, this is an odd locket. My parents must've been into this stuff. Gross." He opens the locket and a small key falls out. " _Hm, maybe it opens that small box I found earlier this week. But knowing my mom, it probably doesn't._ " He thought about going back to that old styled home, but the thought of it makes his skin crawl.

"Shinji, where's the tea? Shinji?" He sighed then opened a few more cupboards. He finally found the tea then started boiling some hot water. " _It's real quiet now that he's gone. No, I wont admit it. I refuse._ " After a while, he heard the pot whistling and went to go check on it. As Jack went to pour the hot water, he heard someone yell "Hey there!" and spilled the water on himself. "Oh my...I'll go get some cold washcloths. Here's some ice for now." Jack let out a sigh as he watched Shinji dash up the stairs.

"Yo." "What can I do for you?" Yuya replied to Yuto. "Well first of all, you can put that phone down and look at me." Yuto waited but Yuya didn't seem the slightest bit phased. "Then I'll just..." Yuto said as plucked Yuya's phone from his hands. "Hey! Give it back!" Yuya yelled as he chased after Yuto. "I'll give it back to you, but..." Yuya let out a sigh then waited for Yuto to finish. "You have to do anything and everything I tell you for 2 hours." "That's torture and we both know it. Keep it." Yuya said as he turned around and walked away. " _He acts like he doesn't like the idea. His joy could clearly be seen in his eyes._ "

Shun opened his eyes and was greeted by the sun and trees. " _Maybe I can see where I am now.._ " He looked around then instantly recognized it. " _Great. I'm in the forest. How did the maze go again..?_ " Just as he started walking, the card that Crow gave him a long while ago started hovering in the opposite direction. "It's that way?" he asked quietly. As if the card understood, it made a motion as if it was nodding it's head. He reluctantly followed behind it hoping it'd lead him out.

Crow flipped through some pages of a book then started wondering about Shun. " _He usually bombards me with messages around this time._ " He heard a knock on his door then went to check it out. "It's Ruri. Is Shun there?" Crow opened the door to let her confirm that he wasn't around. "Why do you ask? Did not go home?" He watched Ruri shake her head then started feeling a bit of worry. "He's Shun. He'll be okay.." She shrugged at his statement then walked away.

" _Hm, what's this fountain? It's so out of place here.._ " He looked at the hovering card for answer but it simply hovered. "Right, cards can't talk. Though, this fountain looks familiar. But the one I remember was filled with water." The card started to glow then floated down into the barren fountain. "Well, I guess I make my way from here. Hold up, what's this jewel doing on top..." He reached up and tried pulling it off. He looked down then saw it was filled with water. He reached in and picked up the card from on top of the water. "Yeah, I think now is a good time to get going..." He quickly walked away and disappeared amongst the trees.

Jack calmly watched Shinji replace the washcloth on his arm with a colder one. "Thanks for the first degree burns." Shinji looked away then stood up. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't know you were handling hot liquid." Jack simply nodded then said, "I was joking. They're not first degree burns, hopefully." Shinji remained quiet then sat down next to him. "Even still, sorry." Jack patted his back as they remained in silence.


	19. I Wished..

Shun arrived at home by late afternoon. One of the boys let him in then asked him where he was. “At a fountain.” Shun said simply. “A fountain? Where..?” “In that forest maze. The one parents always told us to stay out of cause “beasts” lurk in there. Load of bullshit. They could’ve just told us we’d get lost and die.” Yuto quietly nodded as he watched Shun go upstairs. “Yuto, was that Shun?” Yuya asked as he walked into the foyer. “Yeah. Though, I think he must’ve hit his head on something cause he was goin’ on about a fountain.” “That mythical fountain that supposedly transport you to other places?” Yuto nodded in response to Yuya’s question then wondered if it could be fact.

Ruri arrived home about an hour later after Shun. “Yo, he’s back.” “Huh?” Ruri said in a flat voice. Yuto let out a sigh then repeated his statement. He watched Ruri dash up the stairs and towards Shun’s room. “Shun.” Ruri called out as she entered his room. “Yo?” “You’re back.” “Yep.” “Where did you go?” “Ended up in the forest. My watch may be faulty so I’m fixing it now.” “Oh.” Ruri said quietly as she didn’t know what else to say. “I’ll go now.” she said quietly. She closed the door behind her then wondered why she was so flustered about him being missing.

Jack was writing in his book when Shinji entered his room. “Yes?” he said without looking up at Shinji. “How’s your arm?” Jack stopped writing then moved his injured arm a little. “It still hurts, but not as much as earlier. I commend you for taking immediate action. It could’ve been worse.” He heard Shinji let out a sigh then figured he’d try something to lift his spirits. “Do you possibly want to, hang out? We can go or do..wherever you want.” he asked. Jack was sure he’d regret it later but he couldn’t stand seeing Shinji being this way, they were friends after all. “Alright, then I’ll invite people over.” “Oh, so soon...?”

“Yuya.” Yuto called out. He waited for a response but received none. “Yuya, I’m going to leave you behind!” “Goodness, you need to calm down.” Yuto rolled his eyes then held Yuya close. “It’s not everyday Shinji invites us over ya know.” “Yeah, yeah. So why are we still here? Weren’t you the one rushing me?” Yuya said with a smirk. Yuto pressed the button on the side of his watch and they disappeared in a body of pixels.

Crow was working on a side deck when his mind drifted to Ruri asking around earlier. “ _Where did he end up anyway..?_ ” he thought as he picked up his phone and dialed a number. “Yo.” “Hey, what happened earlier? Ruri came over all worried..” Crow waited for his response, but it took Shun a moment to tell him. “I was in the forest, it’s a maze but there’s a trick to it. The card you gave me led me to a fountain where if you touch the jewel it somehow fills with water.” “Is that all it was?” “You make it sound like it happens all the time to you.” Crow went silent for a moment then said, “It does. Not all the time, but I often end up there, in a similar place.” Crow noticed Shun had hung up and wasn’t sure if what he said had upset him.

Shun arrived in front of Crow’s place then knocked on the door. “If you’re a murderer I’ll tell you now. Go bother someone else, I’m already dying.” Shun was too into what Crow said that he didn’t notice him open the door. “I know, it’ll never work.” “So Crow, mind showing me that fountain? And if you don’t mind, can we uh, check out that home back in the city?” Shun noticed Crow looked really uneasy after he mentioned the place.

“Rin, looks like we’ve been invited again.” Rin let out a sigh as she sat down next to Yugo on the couch. “Well..” Rin started. “Let’s just hope that pyromaniac isn’t invited too.” Yugo shrugged as he picked up a water bottle then disappeared, leaving a trail of particles with Rin following behind.

Sora was working on repainting an object when he let out a sneeze. “ _Maybe I’m catching a cold. But wasn’t I sick not too long ago..?_ ” He let out a sigh then continued painting.

Shinji let the two couples in as the home resounded with a heavy bass. “Oh, it’s like last time. You didn’t invite you-know-who, right?” Shinji let out a laugh then reassured them he wasn’t coming. “By the way, have any of you heard from Shun or Crow? They won’t reply to my messages.” Everyone in the room shrugged then went back to chatting. “ _Strange. Shun is such a party animal too._ ”

Crow stopped his bike in front of a fountain in one of the many parks. “This is it.” Shun dismounted and Crow followed suit. “It looks exactly the same. Maybe..” Crow watched in silence as Shun touched the jewel then closed his eyes. He watched as Shun touched the water and suddenly disappeared into thin air. “ _What the...?!_ ” Crow thought as he looked all around the fountain. He noticed the water was no longer there and looked the same as when they arrived. Just as he was about call Shun, he suddenly reappeared where he had disappeared. “What the hell is going on?” Shun patted Crow’s back then said, “Simple. You close your eyes, think or wish of going somewhere and you’re there.”

Shun looked down at a dumbfounded Crow then let out a sigh. “Yep. That’s how I got here. How? I can’t recall. I guess whatever I was thinking must’ve been similar to here.” he said flatly. “Alright. I’ll believe it. So, the old house right? Let’s go..” They mounted the D-Wheel and took off for the inner city of City.


	20. The House

The duo arrived at the old style looking house feeling anxious. “Well, I was hoping I’d never have to come here again.” Shun dismounted then went around to the side of the house. “ _The gate is still busted from last time..._ “ he thought as he walked through. He looked behind him to see that Crow was still sitting on the D-Wheel. “Aren’t you coming, Crow?” “Y-Yeah...” Crow replied as he slowly got off.

Jack was calmly sitting at his desk in another room when the lulled music suddenly got louder. “Who’s there?” “It’s me.” Shinji said quietly. “Oh. What do you need?” “Why don’t you stop reading and come party with us? Live a little.” Jack stood up then placed his hands on both of Shinji’s shoulders. “Fine. But, _you_ have to clean up.” “What kind of compromise is that? I lose either way.” Jack let out a laugh then ushered Shinji out the door.

“How’d you get Jack out here?” Ruri asked in a whisper to Shinji. “Well, he proposed that I clean up everything. Alone.” Ruri shook her head then gave him a serious look. “Did you really agree to it?” Shinji nodded then explained his reasoning. “Ahh, hopefully he’ll have a heart and help out.” Ruri said as she walked away. Shinji was about to pull out the games when someone nudged his side. “Oh, Yuto. And Rin.” “You sound so glad to see us.” “And you look a bit somber, you alright?” Rin added to Yuto’s statement. “Yeah, everything’s fine.”

Shun slowly pushed open the door then looked around. There wasn’t much light entering the house, so it was pretty dim inside. “Got a flashlight?” Crow shook his head at Shun’s statement then watched as Shun went in anyway. “W-Wait. You don’t know what’s in th-“ he started then stopped as Shun fell down a trap drop. It immediately closed behind him as Crow attempted to fall down with him. “ _What is this place? A haunted house?_ “

Shinji waved to the others as they all left to go home. He looked back at the room and was relieved to see that there was little mess to clean up. He started stacking cups, empty and full, then took them to the kitchen. “You don’t have to do that.” Shinji turned around and saw Jack walking towards him. “But you said-“ “I know what I said. But, I never confirmed it, now did I?” Shinji thought back to the conversation then realized Jack was right. “You can go home. I’ll do this.” Shinji shook his head then continued emptying and throwing out plastic cups. “It’s fine. I don’t think...” Shinji said, but then got quieter. “What?” “It’s nothing.”

Crow entered a room that looked pretty run down. Judging by what was in it, he concluded that this was someone’s bedroom. “ _Wonder who lived here._ ” He looked around for a journal or even a picture that could hint at who had lived there. “Nothing...” he whispered. He sighed then leaned against a bookcase, only to find himself in complete darkness soon after. “Hello? Anyone?” he called out. No response. A small light appeared in front of him then started moving away. “ _Do I really want to follow this light. After what happened last time..._ ” Despite everything telling him not to, he ends up following the light.

Jack threw away the last piece of trash then let out a sigh of satisfaction. He looked back at Shinji, who didn’t look all too thrilled. “Well, you’re free to go. I’m going to head up and catch some sleep. So don’t bug me.” He waited for Shinji to say something but only got a nod in response. “ _Thought he’d be long gone when I told him he didn’t have to clean earlier. He’s such a weird guy._ ” He started up the stairs then took one last look at Shinji for the night.

Shun looked around him then noticed it was slightly darker than where he was before. He reached out in front of him and felt nothing. “ _Where exactly am I?_ ” He moves forward with his extended hand then felt something cold and hard. “ _Metal?_ ” He tried squinting but that didn’t help him any either. He tried yelling to see if anyone was around, but he was only greeted with silence.


End file.
